John McCain condemns Donald Trump over row with Khan family
Senator John McCain and other Republican leaders have condemned Donald Trump's remarks about the family of a US Muslim soldier killed in Iraq.
Mr McCain said Mr Trump did not have an "unfettered licence to defame those who are the best among us".
Democratic lawmakers and the soldier's father have called on Republicans to disavow Mr Trump.
US Army Capt Humayun Khan was killed by a car bomb in 2004 in Iraq at the age of 27.
His father, Pakistani-born Khizr Khan, told the BBC on Monday that Mr Trump could not insult women, judges and even members of his own party and not expect to face criticism.
"We all have same equal rights," Mr Khan said.
Mr McCain, a war veteran and the party's 2008 presidential nominee, thanked the Khan family for immigrating to America, adding "we're a better country because of you."
"I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump's statement," Mr McCain said in a statement.
"I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates."
Last year Mr Trump sparked a backlash after he said Mr McCain was not a war hero because he was captured in Vietnam.
The latest escalation comes as Republican leaders have stepped forward to rebuke Mr Trump's fight against the Gold Star parents.
In the US, parents who have lost a child in war are known as Gold Star families.
Analysis: Jon Sopel, BBC North America Editor
There is a quiet intensity to Mr and Mrs Khan. And an old fashioned courtesy.
But can have anything prepared them for the storm they have whipped up as a result of the intervention at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia and the subsequent round of interviews?
When I met them this morning at our Washington Bureau they seemed weary - and yes emotional too - from their more than fifteen minutes of fame.
But do they have regrets about being catapulted into the limelight?
Not a bit of it.
Khizr Khan says there comes a point in your life where you either stand up and be counted, or you shy away.
But if it's moral support they need they don't have to go far.
Walking them to their car after the interview every passer-by that we met stopped them, thanked them and said they would pray for them - and thanked their son for his service and sacrifice.
It was deeply moving.
Mr Khan and his wife, Ghazala, appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last week to speak about their son's sacrifice.
In an emotional speech, Mr Khan said his son would not even have been in America if it had been up to Mr Trump, who has called for a ban on Muslims entering the US.
In an interview with ABC's This Week, Mr Trump suggested Mrs Khan may have not been allowed to speak.
"She had nothing to say... Maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say. You tell me."
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